Key holder



Feb. 16, 1954 R. s. GILLETTE 2,669,113

KEY HOLDER Filed Sept. 15, 1951 my //v (/55 [7 U M m 1 His Q/lbrqgy.

Patented Feb. 16, 1954 7 Roswell :S,i Gillette liiiefia. v nppncstmsiitiptigr 15, ts ssi alilvqgzissn 4 Claims. (al. 704456,)

invention r relates to key l-xholde'rstrand in particular to. animproved pocket. key: :case" wherein any'key can be moved to' an in use.position 'ori'removed from the case-and wherein; an unused keys -may:liei within thenca'se insnflat. parallel planes.

- i-Keyfiholdersxtpresent the particularly unique problem of attemptingto provide a secure, fiat -containerffor a plura-lityiof keysaKey chainsand v I conventional key cases have a plurality ofj-individualkey=ho1ding loops plus a supporting tructure; 'I-he loop's generally areeither removable,

one or more ata'tim'e, outof the casefor use, for

theyare the non-removable type which generally are rotatable to an inuse position; Key loops of-the non removable type unfortunately areapti-to be pulled out from their supporting structure forop'ene'd-to theextent that keys-mayhecome dislodged-and be lost. Key loops of theremovable type, on the'other hand, are usually not easily*removedorreplaced, and in eitherthexremovable or non-reinov'able type,the keys (in storage) db -not lie= in-rie'at, fiat p'aiallel 'plan'ejs-'fo'r "the can; veni'ent removal of the underneath keys; andfurthermore, all the k'ey s tend to become en'- tangleawith:"eachbtlier. r

" It is -"an object of thisinvention; therefore, to provide an improvedk'ey case wherein keys are supported in sush -a manner that they amhe in.fiat parallel planes againsta'base Whe'nth'ey are in otherthan'the inuse position. i 'It is a ifurther object ofithis invention to provideanimproved keycase wherein'a plurality of keys may besupportedzinrthe'flatco-plaiiars'tonage position in a manner thatv afiordsflconveni'entaccess tojany key that is to bemused or removed from the holder. l A

It is a -sti11-further objeetj09this invention to provide .an improvedkey holding mechanism formed'from a single loop which is'adaptedforusewith a keycase and on which "any: key. ma :be

wmchslwhflei m iding-imr. thesready install'agtion desired.

of keys, insures against their being removed accidentally.

ixFurLther' objects-sand:advantages ofthis'inventionwill,becomehapparent;and thelinvention will be .Tmo'rerclearly :understood" from the following descriptiomrefefling to-theaccompanying drawing',"an'd the featuresiof novelty whichcharac-=terizeithisiinvention will be pointed'out with particularity in'tl'iebiaim's' annexed to, and forming a part of this specification.

- Brieflyjthi's invention-relates toa'key-holding mechanism comprising asingle "loopfhaving a mounting portion; key-holding portions extending,upWardl-yifrom said mounting'zportion, and a key inusefi-portion spacedfrom and overlying said mounting '=-p'o'rtion andc'extending generallypering a'portion Ofalocking sleev-esh'ownin section;

"While "Figs. "sands "are 'front'eleva'tions of anotner embbdiment' ofmy iii-proved key case.

Whilethis invention will be described with repect to the limited-"numberof embodiments s'howninthedrawing, it is to be pointed outthatth'es'eembodiments have been chosen merely as examples toi1lustrate"morec1ear1y the operating features and principles of thisinvention.

"in'thedraivving' a"k ey"ca'se I is shown as com- -p' rising a cover "'2"and a key supp'orting mech- 'anism"3. v f Cover 2,which -is'ancillary-to my'invention, can bemade of' any "of 'the conventionalmaterials hretdfonefls'edini'the art that'is, itcan be made of a .flatpiece ofleathen-or plastic-having dimensions making it suitable foroverlap to a buttoning positionyor'itca'n be provided with a'zipperwhichwill 'joinfimatchingedges of the material to enclose keys andwhey-supporting "structure. YKey-supportingmechanismt in theembodiinfant shown in Fig-.f zicomprises'a based, asecuring-deVice S';aiidaky loop 6. -Base 'd'fpreferablyfis aplate of metal or any suitablemolded plastic. which is adapted to lie in a single plaxie. Since base[serves the primary function i of "providing :"a stiff 'backing "member,its thickness, width, and' -l'ength'aredependent priiiiarilyiluponthe'ftype and size of the key case Securing deyicegirwhioh isemployed-tofasten key loop 6 to base 4, may have various forms. In theembodiment shown in Fig. 2, for example, the securing device 5 comprisesa plate I havin three integral ears 8, 9 and [0. The ears arerolled-over portions of key loop 6, thereby fastening it to plate 1.

Obviously, plate I, which is not a necessary element, can be secured byconventional means, such as by rivets II, to base 4 and cover 2.

My improved key loop 6 comprises a mounting portion i2, key-holdingmembers l3, l4 and the key in use portion [5. In a preferred embodiement, loop 6 is made from a single strand of a wire having high tensileand resilient properties.

In one form (Fig. 2), mounting portion I2 is an inverted U-shapedsection having a base l6 and a pair of legs ll, l8. Mounting portionl2,which is shaped to lie in a plane parallel to base 4, is soconstructed (as shown in Fig. 2) that its legs [1, [8 are held by cars8, III while its base IS is held by' ear 9.

Key-holding members I3, l4 extend laterally away from the mountingportion [2. The length of the key-holding members naturally is dependentupon the type and number of keys to be held by the case. For example, tohold several average sized keys, the length of members l3, I4 should beabout three-eighths of an inch, but in any event, their length should beconsistent with good design appeal.

The key"in'use" portion I5 of the key loop 5 overlies the mountingportion I2, and it may extend generally perpendicularly from the outerends of key-holding members l3, l4. Preferably,

the key in use portion 15 is an integral part of I the key loop 6, andits outer tip portion is deflected toward base 4 to lend a smoothcontour to the key case.

The key in use portion l 5 illustrated in Fig. 2 is in the shape of anangle having both sides extending, one towards each of the key-holdingmembers 13, i4. One of these sides is cut (bias orotherwise) at a pointI9 somewhere between the apex and the key-holding portions-l3, l4. Thecut is so positioned that the key is not apt to become disengaged fromthe loop when the key is in the in use position, in storage position, orwhen being moved between these positions. With this structure, anintentional efiort is required to engage or disengage a key from loop 6,because the free ends of the loop adjacent cut 19 have a naturaltendency, due to the resilience o the wire, to stay in alignment.

The further embodiments of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 relateprimarily to a tubular sleeve 20 having an outer diameter smaller thanthe hole in the head'of a key. Sleeve 20 is positioned over the freeends of the loop 6 at out l9, thereby aligning the free ends and holdingthem against separation through loss of resiliency in the loop material.

In use, the sleeve 20 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 could be moved, forexample, along loop 6 in either direction. One free end (preferably theupper one) could then .be sprung to permit required about-every sixmonths, depending on the quality of material in loop 6' and theirequencyof adding and removing'keys':

In addition to the sleeve 20, Figs. 3 and 4 show other means forsecuring loop 6' to the case 2'. In each of these figures, a base plate4 is not employed, but loop 6 is provided with formed eyelets 2|, 2!,through which rivets 22 may be passed to lock the loop 6 directly tocase 2'. While this embodiment does not provide the sturdy structure ofFig. 2, it is adequate for some uses.

This improved key holder has filled a need long existing in the art inthat it provides a unique structure enabling keys to lie absolutely flatagainst the base or each other when not in use, and which allows any oneof the keys to be moved to the in use position or removed from theholder for use. This is done by moving all keys in front of the wantedkey to the other storage leg l3 or l4 or on the loop past the cut I9 andin use position, thus giving the wanted key access to the cut [9 orv inuse position. This requires less efiort than untangling the keys onseparate loops in the present types of key holders.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 5, loop 6 is shownhaving two key-holding positions with the cut I 9" depressed betweenthem so that when either position is used the weight of the holder willtend to close the cut l9" rather than open it.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art,and it is desired to be understood, therefore, that this invention isnot intended to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, butrather it is intended to cover all modifications which are within thetrue spirit and scope or" this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A key loop for a key case comprising a resilient wire shapedintegrally to form an elongated mounting portion, key-holding portionsextending laterally from either end of said mounting portion insubstantially parallel side-by-side alignment, and a key in use portionspaced from and overlying said mounting portion and joining the outerends of said key-holding portions, said key in use portion having a cutat one point therein whereby adjacent sides of said out may be separatedto provide for the installation and removal of keys from said loop.

2. A key loop and mounting plate combination for use in a key casecomprising a fiat mounting plate having a pair of resilient wiresextending laterally therefrom in side-by-side relationship to providekey-holding portions whereby keys may be supported to lie flat andparallel to said mounting plate, and an integral key in use portionoverlying said mounting plate and connecting the outer ends of saidkey-holding portions, said key in use portion having a cut therein toprovide for the separation of the adjacent sides of said out inopposition to the resiliency of said wire whereby keys may be installedthereon or removed therefrom.

3. A key loop for a key case comprising integrally an elongated mountingportion, keyholding portions extending laterally from opposite ends ofsaid mounting portion in parallel side-by-side alignment to provide keystorage supports whereby a key when not being used may lie absolutelyflat and parallel to said mounting portion, and a key in use portionspaced from and overlying said mounting portion, said key in use portionhaving a pair of'legs interconnecting the outer endsof said key-holdingpo'rtionsyand said loop having a out along its 5 length to provide forinsertion of a key on said loop or easy removal of any key therefrom.

4. A key-supporting device comprising a flat mounting plate, a key loop,and means securing I said loop to said plate, said loop defining amounting portion lying in one plane, key-holding portions extendinglaterally one from each end of said mounting portion in side-by-sidealignment,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Wood Dec. 30, 1919 Ingraham Jan. 31, 1922 Robbins May 18, 1926Bailey Nov. 1, 1927 Mitchell Oct. 13, 1942 Kollock Nov. 7, 1944

